Soldiers’ Bodies Brought to Base Camp 10 Days after Siachen Avalanche

The bodies of the nine soldiers, who lost their lives in Siachen after an avalanche hit their post on February 3, have been bought down to the Siachen base camp.

According to army sources, helicopters are on a stand-by to further transport the mortal remains of the soldiers to Leh. “The weather between Siachen base camp and Leh is not fit for operations so far. There all mortal remains are being mover to military hospital, Hunder (near Parthapur),” an army official from army’s Northern Command headquarters in Udhampur said.

Army officials however said that meteorological department has predicted a clear day on Sunday and the bodies are likely to be transported on Sunday.

The bodies are likely to be embalmed in Hunder and a wreath laying ceremony is likely to follow. “This will save time in Leh as the bodies will be flown out from Leh to Delhi without wasting time,” the official said.

The soldiers bodies will then be transported to Delhi from an IAF aircraft and subsequently to their home towns.

Reports said cloudy conditions are likely to continue in the Siachen area on Friday. The temperature in the area is -21 degrees.

A soldier buried under 25-feet of snow was found alive in a critical condition six days after an avalanche hit an army post in the Siachen glacier. Nine other soldiers were, however, killed after their post was hit by the avalanche on February 3.

The rescued soldier, Lance Naik Hanamanthapa, also succumbed to hypothermia among other ailments at an army hospital in Delhi a few days later.

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